Installing a third-party SSL certificate

You can install an SSL certificate from a third-party provider on your A2 Hosting account. There are two ways to do this:

  • You can purchase a brand-new SSL certificate. To do this, you must first generate a private key and Certificate Signing Request (CSR) in cPanel. You submit the CSR to the third-party provider, who then generates an SSL certificate and sends it to you.
  • If you have already purchased an SSL certificate from another provider for your domain, you can install it in cPanel. To do this, you must have the private key and SSL certificate. Some SSL certificates require a Certificate Authority (CA) bundle as well. (The CA bundle may also be called an Intermediate Certificate.)


Generate a private key and CSR

If you have not already purchased an SSL certificate from another provider, you must first generate a private key and Certificate Signing Request (CSR). If you have already purchased an SSL certificate from a provider and have the private key (.key) file and SSL certificate (.crt) file, do not follow this procedure. You do not need to generate a private key or CSR. Follow the Install a private key procedure below instead.

 

To generate a private key and CSR:

  1. Log in to cPanel.
    If you do not know how to log in to your cPanel account, please see this article.
  2. In the Security section of the cPanel home screen, click SSL/TLS Manager.
  3. Under Private Keys (KEY), click Generate, view, upload, or delete your private keys. The Private Keys page appears.
  4. Under Generate a New Key, specify the domain you want to secure with SSL. In theHost text box, type the domain name. Alternatively, select the domain name from the drop-down list.
    Make sure that you specify the correct domain name that you want to secure (for example, www.example.com or example.com). Also, do not addhttps:// to the domain name in the Host text box.
  5. Confirm that the Key Size is set to 2,048 bits.
  6. Click Generate. cPanel generates and installs the private key. You are now ready to generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR).
  7. Click Return to SSL Manager.
  8. Under Certificate Signing Requests (CSR), click Generate, view, or delete SSL certificate signing requests.
  9. In the Host list box, select the correct host for the SSL certificate.
  10. Complete the remaining fields for the CSR.
  11. Click Generate. cPanel generates the CSR.

  12. Copy the CSR text and submit it to the third-party SSL provider. When you receive the SSL certificate from the provider, you are ready to enable SSL for your web site. Go to theInstall the certificate and activate SSL procedure below.



Install a private key

If you have already purchased an SSL certificate from another provider and you have the private key and certificate, you must first install the private key using cPanel.

If you are purchasing a brand-new certificate and just completed the procedure above to generate a CSR, do not follow this procedure. Follow the Install the certificate and activate SSL procedure below after you receive the certificate from the provider.

To install a private key:

  1. Log in to cPanel.
    If you do not know how to log in to your cPanel account, please see this article.
  2. In the Security section of the cPanel home screen, click SSL/TLS Manager.
  3. Under Private Keys (KEY), click Generate, view, upload, or delete your private keys. The Private Keys page appears.
  4. Under Upload a New Key, in the Domain the key is for text box, type the domain name associated with the key.
  5. Upload the key using one of the following methods:
    • Paste the key text in the text box.
    • Alternatively, click Browse, and then locate the .key file on your computer.
  6. Click Install. cPanel installs the private key.

  7. Click Go Back.

  8. Click Return to SSL Manager.

  9. You are now ready to install the certificate and enable SSL for your web site. Go to theInstall the certificate and activate SSL procedure below.



Install the certificate and activate SSL

At this point, you should have a private key installed and a certificate from the third-party provider. (You may also optionally have a CA bundle.) If so, you are ready to install the certificate and activate SSL for your web site:

  1. From the SSL/TLS Manager page, under Certificates (CRT), click Generate, view, upload, or delete SSL certificates.
  2. Under Upload a New Certificate, upload the certificate using one of the following methods:
    • Paste the certificate text in the text box.
    • Alternatively, click Browse, and then locate the .crt file on your computer.
  3. Click Upload. cPanel uploads the certificate.

  4. Click Go Back. The certificate should be listed under Certificates on Server.

  5. Click Go Back. The SSL/TLS Manager page appears.

  6. Under Activate SSL on Your Web Site (HTTPS), click Setup a SSL certificate to work with your site.

  7. Under Install/Update A SSL Host, select the domain for the certificate. cPanel should fill in the Certificate (CRT) and Key (KEY) fields automatically.

  8. If your SSL certificate requires a CA (Certificate Authority) bundle, you must paste it underCA Bundle (CABUNDLE). Otherwise, leave this field blank.

    Not all SSL certificates require a CA bundle (which is also sometimes called an Intermediate Certificate). If you are unsure whether your certificate requires a CA bundle, contact the certificate provider.

  9. Click Install Certificate. cPanel installs the certificate on the server and enables SSL. When the process is complete, you receive a Your SSL certificate has been successfully installed to your site message.

  10. You can now access your web site securely by using the https:// prefix in a web browser. If you need further assistance, please open a support ticket with our Guru Crew on the Customer Portal at https://my.a2hosting.com.

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